ABSTRACT
Scott was the earliest of the distinguished critical admirers of Jane Austen. The first critique of her work by an eminent hand was his review of Emma, into which he incorporated a survey of her other work, though he omitted Mansfield Park. It is not important to defend Jane Austen by meeting these criticisms head on; it is more enlightening to try to understand why they were made. But Lawrence's language is not just hysterical rage, and Charlotte Bronte's does not issue merely from the obtuseness of a socially unsophisticated woman. Their disagreement with Jane Austen is a genuine one, worth examining if we are to understand where she stands in the English tradition. However, when we think of Jane Austen's treatment of character-in-society, it is important to recognize the extent to which her novels underwent development and enrichment of technique.
